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A Kiss of Shadows Book Summary and Study Guide

Detailed plot synopsis reviews of A Kiss of Shadows


Meredith Gentry, also known as Princess Meredith NicEssues and the first in line to the Fey Throne, works as a Private Investigator in Los Angeles at the Grey Detective Agency. Here she is consistently getting into arguments with her boss Jeremy Grey due to her strong-willed personality and desire to solve cases sometimes in a reckless manner. Although she loves her job, she finds keeping her status as royalty a burden and even though the magical realm is known to the human world, her status could provide trouble due to the political tensions within the Fey Realm.
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On one typical day at the agency, two women approach Merry regarding human males posing as fey and performing rituals with fey women. This bothers Merry as the only way to pose as a fey also known as a sidhe, is to use Branwyn's Tears, an oil that can transform humans into fey and allow them to take on sexual slaves. Disturbed by the possibility of this, Merry goes under cover to investigate, and unfortunately confirms her suspicions that human men are using Branwyn's Tears, although she is put in danger in the process and barely escapes with her life.

In the midst of trying to solve the case, Merry also finds herself faced with Fey Problems of the most dire kind when she becomes a target of King Sholto, King of the Sluagh and one of Queen Andais of the Royal Fey Court's Ravens. Also, Merry's wicked mother who has no desire to see Merry rise to her thrown. The sluagh take Merry captive where is brought to Sholto who secretly dislikes Andais due to her hatred of his mixed blood, which has caused Sholto to have to glamour himself into looking attractive. Merry asks him to drop the glamour as she wants to see him how he really is, unfortunately she is repulsed by his body which is covered in tentacles. Sholto, despite Merry's rejection, proposes they form a secret alliance behind Andais' back. Merry agrees although this enrages his harem of nighthags, hideous beasts who love Sholto and want him for their own. They attack Merry who fights back, only to have her fey power awakened, known as The Hand of Flesh, and she turns one of the nighthags into a disgusting ball of inside out guts and bones.

Merry is in awe of her power but also repulsed and tries to escape Sholto, only to be captured by the Captain of the Queen's Raven Guard, Doyle. A gorgeous fey whose skin is black as the color, not brown but pure black. He informs Merry the Queen was not the one responsible for sending the Slaugh and the Queen seeks her presence in the Fey Court. Merry agrees, although reluctant as the Queen has made it clear her hatred for Merry. When Merry arrives at the Court, she is informed by Andais that she wishes to continue their blood line and demands that Merry become pregnant. This enrages Cel, Merry's half brother who would be heir to the throne. Andais offers up her Raven's Guard and lifts her rule of celibacy in order for Merry to choose several to try and increase her chances of pregnancy.

Over the course of her stay in the Court, Cel makes several assassination attempts but Merry is protected by Doyle as well as Frost, a Fey whose silver hair and light blue skin make him look like "living winter." In a final attack, Merry wields her gift once more and uses the Hand of Flesh to destroy Cel's accomplices as well as expose Cel as the reason for the outbreak of Branwyn's Tears in Los Angeles. Andais is enraged by the misuse of Fey Magic on humans as it puts them in a dangerous position. She tries Cel for treason and has him imprisoned with his punishment to be coated in the Branywn's Tears himself, a fate worse than death.

Merry knows that she is now in danger as once Cel is released, his mind will have been corrupted by the tears and he will seek revenge. Andais allows Frost and Doyle to accompany Merry back to LA as her own personal guard, with the future looking more uncertain as political unrest begins to stir within the Court.
Best part of story, including ending: I loved the new take on faeries and the world existing within our society. I found the romance on point and very realistic and the character description allowed me to really fall and feel for the cast of characters.

Best scene in story: My favorite scene is when Sholto's harem of lovers, the nighthags, attack Merry because they do not want Sholto to fall for her. The scene is just so visceral and well-written, but I love how disgusting the nighthags are and found it amusing how badly they would protect the one man who wanted them.

Opinion about the main character: I loved Merry Gentry's confidence. No matter what situation is thrown at her she handles it maturely and regally like the royalty she is.

The review of this Book prepared by Jason Macumber a Level 4 Yellow-Headed Blackbird scholar

Merry Gentry is the missing fairy princess in hiding, working as a private detective in Los Angeles, although when she is publicly outed as Princess Meredith, she attempts to run for her life. When she returns to the Unseelie Court, she must rely on herself and the most beautiful of the Queen's bodyguard to keep her from being killed by Prince Cel's plotting. This novel is fraught with magic, court intrigue and lots and lots of sex.
The review of this Book prepared by Karen Moss




Meredith has escaped from her home in Faerie but her past catches up to her. Her aunt, Queen of Air and Darkness, wants her to be with child if she is to rule. But there are assasination attemps and her cousin Cel who is co-heir wants her dead.
The review of this Book prepared by Rachael




Meredith Gentry works for a detective agency that specializes in the paranormal, but she's also a faerie princess. Her life depends on no one finding out, however, because her aunt, Queen of Air and Darkness and ruler of the Unseelie sidhe, would kill her if she could find her. Merry's identity is revealed when she does some undercover work for the detective agency, and she has to get out of town fast. Things only get worse, as she is thrown into a mess of political intrigue that becomes no less dangerous once she's unraveled it. Meredith's aunt tells her that she may have the throne, but only under one condition, and the fact that Cel, Meredith's cousin and heir to the throne, still wants to be king only complicates things further. This book is very sexually explicit and a few people die in truly horrible ways, so be warned.
The review of this Book prepared by Melissa Cookson



Chapter Analysis of A Kiss of Shadows

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Plot & Themes

Composition of Book Descript. of chases or violence 20%planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives 40%Feelings, relationships, character bio/development 30%Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places 10% Tone of book    -   suspenseful (sophisticated fear) FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION?    -   fantasy story on current Earth Magical Beings/Mental/Magical/Powers    -   Yes magical powers:    -   Fairies (fantasy) Is this an adult or child's book?    -   Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character

Identity:    -   Female Profession/status:    -   private investigator Age:    -   20's-30's If magical mental powers:    -   super strength    -   can cast many different spells    -   healing

Setting

Terrain    -   Domed/Underground City Earth setting:    -   20th century    -   current (early 21st century) Takes place on Earth?    -   Yes

Writing Style

Accounts of torture and death?    -   very explicit references to deaths and torture scientific jargon? (SF only)    -   none/very little science jargon needed Sex in book?    -   Yes What kind of sex:    -   descript of kissing    -   descript of touching personal anatomy    -   licking    -   actual description of sex    -   description of breasts    -   descript. of private male anat. How much dialogue?    -   roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

Books with storylines, themes & endings like A Kiss of Shadows

Laurell K. Hamilton Books Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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